1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to barrier fences used to control erosion at construction sites and the like.
More specifically, this invention relates to an apparatus for inserting and anchoring barrier fences.
Still more specifically, this invention relates the apparatus described above wherein the apparatus is in the form of an articulated attachment to a ditcher.
Construction sites and other erosion prone areas of landscape are prime candidates for the insertion of an erosion barrier. Historically, rocks, hay bales, and rooted plants and shrubs have served as erosion barriers. The development of low cost, reinforced, foramanous, plastic film, has made it the material of choice at construction sites where soil is laid bare and where even a benign water course can be severely eroded in a heavy rain.
The foraminous plastic film has numerous small openings through which water can pass, but only slowly. It is in this way that erosion barriers slow the speed of flowing water and thereby greatly reduce erosion.
The installation of a barrier fence typically involves the burying of one long edge of the barrier material in a trench that is transverse to the water course and staking the above ground portion of the barrier material to hold it upright so as to form a barrier to water flow in the water course.
2. Description of Related Art
Erosion barriers having one edge buried in the ground have a number of deficiencies that are cured by the apparatus and methods of this invention.
One vexatious deficiency of barrier fences in use heretofore, is that of pulling out of the ground or falling over when a heavy water load is backed up by the barrier. This problem has its origins in the flow characteristics of wet soil as it takes up water and develops the consistency of mud.
A vexatious problem associated with the installation of barrier fences in use heretofore is that of requiring numerous machines, and/or, machine attachments, and/or significant manual labor to install the barrier fence. Erosion barriers of the type contemplated by this invention can be installed by manual means. The functions of digging a trench, unwinding the barrier material, inserting the barrier material in the trench, filling in the trench and staking the barrier in place are all operations that can and sometimes are performed by hand. The prior art abounds in machines and apparatus that perform the tasks of trenching, unwinding barrier material, positioning barrier material, filling trenches, and staking barriers. None of these prior art devices, alone or in combination can achieve the erosion barrier installation achieved by this invention.
Yet another problem with prior art machines and apparatus for installing erosion barriers is that of length and inflexibility. Erosion barriers typically span a ditch or other undulating contours. Often it is desirable to install an erosion barrier in an arc. The inability of prior art barrier fence installing apparatus to follow contours and/or to follow curvatures due to their length and inflexibility limits the utility of the apparatus.
It is an object of this invention to provide an articulated attachment to a ditcher that can follow the ditcher through undulations and around curves while inserting erosion barrier material in the ditch formed by the ditcher, and anchoring the barrier material while filling the ditch.
It is further an object of this invention to provide the articulated ditcher attachment described above wherein the attachment performs the functions of unwinding erosion barrier material, guiding the material into a trench formed by the ditcher, forming the material into conformance with the bottom and sides of the trench, Partially filling in the trench with filling soil deposited in the barrier material lining the trench, completing the filling of the trench so that the underground portion of the barrier material wraps the soil in the barrier lining the bottom of the treanch.
It is further an object of this invention to provide the attachment described above wherein the underground configuration of the barrier material is such that a stake driven along one side of the above ground portion of the barrier will penetrate at least one layer of the underground portion of the barrier.
It is further an object of this invention to provide the attachment described above wherein the attachment is short in length and easily attached to a ditcher.
Other objects will be made apparent by the following specifications, drawings and claims.
An erosion fence installation attachment for ditchers comprising: an insertion frame joined to a solid structural member of a ditcher by means of a vertical pin and sleeve pivot, a horizontal pivot means connecting the insertion frame to the pin and sleeve pivot and the horizontal pivot is resiliently biased downward, a barrier material roll unwind secured to the insertion frame and carrying a roll of barrier material over said ditch, an insertion guide means which depends from said insertion frame and is positioned to guide the barrier material into a ditch formed by said ditcher and against the sides of said ditch, a ditch bottom following shoe which is a part of said insertion guide means and which is resiliently biased downward and said shoe is positioned below said insertion guide means so as to press barrier material guided by said guide means against the bottom of a ditch formed by said ditcher, a first ditch fill disk secured to said insertion frame and positioned to, in use, cause fill material to be pushed into said ditch and onto the barrier material pressed against said bottom and sides of said ditch, a second ditch fill disk secured to said insertion frame and positioned to, in use, cause fill material to be pushed against said barrier and into said ditch on top of and against said barrier material, and a method for staking and anchoring said erosion fence by means of a stake driven downward along said erosion fence so as to penetrate the barrier material in at least two places.